← Back to guidelines
Obstetrics14 papers

Psychologic dyspareunia

Last edited: 4/15/2026

Overview

Psychologic dyspareunia refers to sexual pain associated with psychological factors, impacting sexual function and quality of life in women, often presenting in urology and gynecology settings 12.

Diagnosis

  • Key Diagnostic Criteria: Presence of sexual pain reported by patients, often with varied pain locations and qualities 1.
  • Recommended History Taking: Comprehensive sexual history including pain characteristics, frequency, severity, and impact on quality of life 2.
  • Assessment Tools: Use of structured surveys or questionnaires to characterize dyspareunia comprehensively 1.
  • Management

  • First-Line Treatments: Psychologic interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) tailored to sexual health issues 2.
  • Adjunctive Treatments: Multidisciplinary approach involving sex therapy and psychological counseling to address underlying psychological factors 2.
  • Pharmacological Support: Limited direct evidence in abstracts; focus primarily on psychological and behavioral modifications 12.
  • Special Populations

  • Pregnancy: No specific data provided in abstracts 12.
  • Pediatrics: Not addressed in provided abstracts 12.
  • Elderly: Prevalence noted in older women (mean age 56 years in study), emphasizing need for tailored psychological support 1.
  • Comorbidities: Psychological comorbidities may exacerbate dyspareunia; integrated care addressing both conditions recommended 2.
  • Key Recommendations

  • Conduct a thorough sexual history including detailed dyspareunia characteristics to guide diagnosis 2 (Evidence: Moderate).
  • Implement psychological interventions such as CBT for managing psychologic dyspareunia 2 (Evidence: Moderate).
  • Consider a multidisciplinary approach involving sex therapy to address complex psychological factors contributing to dyspareunia 2 (Evidence: Moderate).
  • References

    1 Yeaman C, Zillioux J, Boatman K, Krzastek S, Rapp DE. Prevalence and characterization of dyspareunia in a general urology clinic population. The Canadian journal of urology 2021. link 2 Hagey JM, Toole J, Branford K, Reynolds T, Livingston E, Dotters-Katz SK. Understanding Sexual Complaints and History Taking: A Standardized Patient Case on Dyspareunia for Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship Students. MedEdPORTAL : the journal of teaching and learning resources 2020. link

    Original source

    1. [1]
      Prevalence and characterization of dyspareunia in a general urology clinic population.Yeaman C, Zillioux J, Boatman K, Krzastek S, Rapp DE The Canadian journal of urology (2021)
    2. [2]
      Understanding Sexual Complaints and History Taking: A Standardized Patient Case on Dyspareunia for Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship Students.Hagey JM, Toole J, Branford K, Reynolds T, Livingston E, Dotters-Katz SK MedEdPORTAL : the journal of teaching and learning resources (2020)

    HemoChat

    by SPINAI

    Evidence-based clinical decision support powered by SNOMED-CT, Neo4j GraphRAG, and NASS/AO/NICE guidelines.

    ⚕ For clinical reference only. Not a substitute for professional judgment.

    © 2026 HemoChat. All rights reserved.
    Research·Pricing·Privacy & Terms·Refund·SNOMED-CT · NASS · AO Spine · NICE · GraphRAG